Today’s political headlines include May abandoning the cross-party approach to Brexit and considering amendments to the Good Friday Agreement, the new legislation on domestic abuse and Starmer saying Labour’s general election demand is not realistic.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
May abandons cross-party Brexit approach<\/span> May considers attempt to amend the Good Friday Agreement<\/span> Government announces new domestic abuse legislation<\/span> Starmer says Labour\u2019s general election demand is not \u2018realistic\u2019<\/span> Airlines criticised for not warning passengers about no-deal Brexit impact<\/span> Tory backbenchers behind plans to take control of Brexit to meet<\/span> Farage lined-up to lead new pro-Brexit party<\/span> Speaker considers delaying retirement<\/span>
\n<\/strong>The Times\u00a0<\/em>says<\/a>\u00a0that Theresa May has stopped her cross-party Brexit approach, instead telling the Cabinet last night that she will focus on trying to get the EU to agree to changes to the backstop that would placate rebel Tories and the DUP. She blamed Jeremy Corbyn for this, claiming that it was the result of his refusal to meet for talks unless a no-deal Brexit was taken off the table, and said that she would use the result of a vote on January 29 to demonstrate that the changes she wants would deliver a majority for the deal.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In an exclusive,\u00a0The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0claims<\/a>\u00a0that Theresa May is considering trying to amend the Good Friday Agreement in an attempt to assure Ireland that the UK is committed to no hard border between the two countries after Brexit, in an attempt to avoid having to commit to the backstop. According to the paper, senior EU sources regard the plan as a \u2018non-starter\u2019 while UK Government sources are \u2018sceptical\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The BBC\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that new legislation to protect domestic abuse victims has been announced by the Government. The legislation will create a legal definition of domestic abuse, including economic abuse and control, prevent abusers from cross-examining victims, create a national \u2018domestic abuse commissioner\u2019 and force abusers into rehabilitation schemes.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Labour\u2019s Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said yesterday that his party\u2019s demand for a general election was not \u2018realistic\u2019, claiming that the realistic options were instead \u2018a close economic relationship and a public vote\u2019. Meanwhile, Labour backbencher, David Lammy, warned that Labour\u2019s stance was leaving some MPs so frustrated that they might \u2018go off and form another party\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that airlines are being criticised for not telling customers that plane tickets might be cancelled and passports might not be valid if no Brexit deal is reached. According to the International Air Transport Association, as many as five million tickets could need to be cancelled, as EU legislation would cap flight levels at the same level as last year.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Dominic Grieve and Nick Boles, two of the Tory MPs planning attempts to take control of Brexit from the Government, are meeting today to discuss their strategy and whether they should combine forces. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox claimed at the weekend that \u2018Parliament has not the right to hijack the Brexit process\u2019 and \u2018steal the result from the people.\u2019<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that Nigel Farage is being lined-up to lead a new pro-Brexit party should the UK not leave the EU by 29 March. The party is being registered by Catherine Blaiklock, once UKIP\u2019s economics spokesperson, who told the paper that she thought \u2018people feel treason has been committed. It\u2019s democracy.\u2019<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Sun<\/em>\u00a0claims<\/a>\u00a0that Commons Speaker John Bercow is \u2018seriously reflecting\u2019 on whether he should continue longer than planned, following reports that the Government is considering denying him the peerage normally given to former Speakers, with friends suggesting that Bercow is \u2018seriously annoyed\u2019 about what he views as \u2018an attempt to bully him\u2019.<\/p>\n